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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Information Officers advised to intensify sensitisation on Referendum

By
Philip Tengzu, GNA

Wa, (UWR), October
22, GNA – Metropolitan, Municipal and District Information Officers (MMDIOs) in
the Upper West Region have been advised to collaborate with other stakeholders
to sensitise the electorate on the need for effective participation in the
upcoming referendum in December.

They have also been
advised to educate the electorate on the need to vote in the affirmative for
the referendum question to amend Article 55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution to
allow political parties to participate in the District Level Elections (DLEs).

Mr Sinto Mustapha
Nuhu, the Upper West Regional Information Officer, gave the advice in Wa at a
training for the MMDIOs on the upcoming referendum, scheduled for December 17.

He said, as
information officers, it was a mandate to sensitise the citizenry to understand
the referendum question and the implication of a “Yes” or “No” vote to be able
to exercise their franchise well.

“We need to also
educate and appeal to the voters to come out to vote massively so as to meet
the minimum turnout of 40 per cent and the 75 per cent approval”, he stated.

Currently, Article
55 (3) of the 1992 Constitution prohibits political parties from participating
or sponsoring candidates in the DLEs.

Mr Nuhu, however,
explained that in the event, where the citizens voted against the referendum
question, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) would
still be elected but on non-partisan basis.

He said, if MMDCEs
were elected on partisan basis, it would give opportunity to the smaller
parties to participate in governance and decision making, particularly at the
local level, as some of them would be elected as MMDCEs or Assembly Members.

He explained that
election of MMDCEs would give the citizens the opportunity to hold the MMDCEs
accountable, as they were currently accountable to their political heads, who
appointed them to those offices and could revoke their appointment at any time.

Mr Nuhu indicated
that it would also allow the MMDCEs and their assemblies to control monies
meant for development at the district level and to fully implement their development
plans without being burdened with projects from the central government.

The Information
Officer explained that Article 243 (1) of the Constitution, which entrusted the
president with the power to appoint MMDCEs, was before Parliament for amendment
to enable MMDCEs to be elected.

According to Mr
Nuhu, election of MMDCEs was identified as a governance gap, and thus formed
part of the commitment of some political parties, including; the New Patriotic
Party and the National Democratic Congress to bridge that gap with the election
of MMDCEs.

GNA

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